A 26-year-old Nigerian national, Mercy Ojedeji, has been sentenced to 41 months in federal prison in the United States after admitting to a complex scheme involving visa fraud, identity theft, and participation in a wider money-laundering operation. The sentence was handed down by U.S. District Judge Henry E. Autrey, following months of investigation by federal law-enforcement agencies.
According to court documents, Ojedeji fraudulently secured a student visa, gained admission into the University of Missouri’s chemistry PhD program, and received more than $49,000 in financial benefits, including a stipend and tuition waiver, by submitting falsified academic transcripts, doctored recommendation letters, and a fabricated English-proficiency score.
Investigators say he arrived in the United States in August 2023 but failed to attend classes, join a research group, or perform any graduate-assistant duties. The university terminated his enrollment in January 2024, effectively invalidating his visa.
Despite this, Ojedeji used the fraudulent documentation to obtain a Social Security card, a bank account, and later a Missouri driver’s license. Federal prosecutors said these identity documents enabled him to take part in a larger financial-fraud and money-laundering operation linked to his accomplice, Shirley Waller, who is already serving a 93-month sentence for pandemic-relief and mortgage-fraud schemes.
Investigators traced 193 packages to the residence Ojedeji shared with Waller; 17 of those packages were found to contain $94,150 in cash and gift cards, suspected to be proceeds from romance scams and other online frauds. Authorities estimate the broader scheme’s intended losses exceeded $1 million, with one victim losing $47,000 to a romance scam that routed money through the account Ojedeji opened using his fraudulently obtained Social Security number.
The investigation, led by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service in coordination with the FBI and local police, revealed that Ojedeji’s fraudulent student status played a central role in building a credible identity that enabled more serious criminal activities. Prosecutors argued that while the visa scam alone was significant, Ojedeji’s willingness to use the resulting documents to launder proceeds of nationwide fraud made the case particularly severe.
Victim-impact statements presented in court described widespread financial and emotional harm. One woman said she lost her life savings and even had her water supply disconnected for a month because she was unable to pay her bills after being duped in the scam network connected to Ojedeji and Waller.
Judge Autrey, in delivering the sentence, emphasized the deliberate nature of the scheme and its devastating impact on victims who believed they were helping legitimate acquaintances or romantic partners. Ojedeji will also face immigration proceedings upon completion of his prison term and is likely to be deported to Nigeria.